ANNOUNCING: Action Campaign to Stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership

PopularResistance.org is excited to announce it’s first action campaign. In collaboration with groups that have been working to expose and oppose the secretive trade agreement that the Obama administration has been negotiating for the past three years, PopularResistance.org developed an action website: FlushtheTPP.org.

2. Use the Tool page to find ideas and resources for an action – it can be as simple as passing out the new TPP OccuCard or holding a sign in a public place on #TPPTuesday, or a more complicated and creative action such as light projection or highway bannering.

3. Post your action on the Action page for everyone to see!

Here is information about the campaign from FlushtheTPP.org:

FlushTheTPP.org is an action campaign to Stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). We invite you to join us. In order to stop the TPP we need to act quickly and in solidarity with people in other countries. This massive trade agreement is a high priority for transnational corporations, and they are working fast to make it law.

The TPP affects many issues, including worker’s rights and wages, environmental collapse and climate change, sovereignty of nations and democratic rule of law, Internet freedom and online creativity, food safety and agriculture, healthcare and financial regulation (including controls over the flow of capital), and much more. For a quick overview of some of the issues, click through the slides on our home page. While this website is focused on action to stop the TPP, if you want to learn more details about what it is, visit the websites to the right, or check out this list of articles.

Many groups have been working to stop the TPP for a long time, including a number of fair trade coalitions, labor and environmental organizations, and others. (Check out theNorth American Unity Statement, and add your organization to the list of endorsers.)PopularResistance.org joined the movement to oppose the TPP and worked with some of these groups to develop this campaign. FlushTheTPP.org is set up so anyone can get involved. Here is the current plan:

Strategic Action Plan

Phase I: Throughout the summer, the goal is to educate and mobilize people. The TPP has been negotiated in secret for three years, so very few people know much about it. We start with#TPPTuesdays, weekly actions to draw attention to the trade agreement. It will be up to people around the country to decide what works best for their local area or organization. And while there is power in acting on the same day every week, actions and educational events are certainly not limited to Tuesdays. The goal is to be visible and to educate. See the Actions and Toolspages for more information.

Phase II: In August during the recess, we switch focus to influencing members of Congress. We have two goals with members (1) Require the contents of the TPP be made available to the public. As former US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said, if the contents of this agreement were known it could not be signed because it would be so unpopular. (2) Stop Fast Track so Congress can hold hearings, hear witnesses and suggest amendments before the president signs the agreement. Suggested actions include bird-dogging officials at public events and rallies at their district offices.

Phase III: Defeat the TPP with major actions at the last round of negotiations (site TBA) and in Washington, DC as well as in home districts. When a major action occurs, people will be encouraged to hold solidarity actions.

There is a lot of flexibility in this strategy. Different groups can develop unique tactics that work for them. The important thing is that by having a common goal (to stop the TPP) and a shared strategic framework, we can all can work together in solidarity.

People now have enough experience with treaties like NAFTA to know that it is bad for the economy, bad for workers and bad for the environment. The only groups helped by these trade agreements are big transnational corporations who get cheap labor, avoid environmental regulations and secure cheap access to resources.

Since the “Battle in Seattle,” the World Trade Organization has had an impossible time moving forward, as was seen in the failure of the Millennial and Doha Rounds of the WTO. We also stopped the Free Trade Area of the Americas and the Multilateral Agreement on Investment. And at least 14 other corporate trade agreements have not been completed because of widespread public opposition. This is hopeful news, and together we can stop the TPP also, which will be a tremendous victory for the people against transnational corporate power!